As I read this week’s assignment, a question stuck out to me from Murphy and Sherwood’s selection: “Are we acting as collaborators or as authority figures?” (10). I kept this question in mind as I observed in the writing room this week. I did not witness any collaborations, but several authority figure/student sessions. The tutors seem to treat the students as if there are their own students. I often hear tutors speaking to the clients not as peers but as students. They greet them professionally but saying, “Hello, what are you working on today?” The interpersonal interaction that Murphy and Sherwood insist is so important is almost completely ignored. The tutors have the students fill out the proper paperwork and then begin reading drafts of what the student is working on. They don’t ask what the student’s concerns are, about the class, or other creative thinking ideas. They just jump right in to proofreading the papers and providing tips on how to make the paper sound more “academic.” There is no personal conversation concerning interests, culture, or personal history. I do not hear students ask their tutors about questions they were too afraid to ask their instructors. Students just take the advice of their tutors and leave the room. I find this defines that tutors are very much authority figures and ignore the fact that they should be collaborating with the students.
The tutors also often do not take a minimalist role, mentioned by Sherwood and Murphy (17). This role suggests that tutors and students should be working together, even when it is time for the tutors to give them advice. Murphy and Sherwood suggest that the students should read out loud and the tutor should comment as they read, or make notes and comments after they are finished. No one has read aloud in the writing room that I have heard. The student hands over his/her draft to the tutor, the tutor reads. The tutor makes changes, discusses the changes, and hands the paper back. The student is no more confident in his/her writing abilities. There are no long-term effects. I would like to see our writing room transform into more than just a place for students to have their papers proofread.
References:
Murphy, Christina and Steve Sherwood. The St. Martin's Sourcebook for Writing Tutors. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 8-23.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Part of observing is to figure out what other tutors do that you don't want to adopt, too. In other words, if what you're seeing in the writing center seems to you an ineffective way of tutoring, then take heart: Soon, you will be a tutor in your own right, and you can construct the kind of center you want to see.
ReplyDeleteI really respect the depth of reflection in this post. You're not simply griping about what goes on in the center; you're truly critiquing, trying to interpret your experiences there through the lens of our readings for class. That's an excellent, excellent step toward developing your own reflective practice.
I know exactly what you're talking about! I've noticed from being in the writing room too that usually the tutor just asks what the student is working on and takes over. They tutor reads the student's paper silently to themselves and corrects the grammar as they go. I don't think this method is very helpful. I've learned more from the role playing in class than from sitting the writing room observing. I can't wait to actually start tutoring and sit down with the student one on one to address their concerns and room for improvments within their writing. Reading the student's paper aloud to them is probably going to be the most effective (it is with me). Then, they're able to identify their errors and listen to what they're actually trying to convey through their paper. I'd like to see more collaboration in the writing room as well and I think it's our responsibility to improve the center.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed the same thing (although i only interact with 2 or 3 tutors). Most sessions i have observed are nothing like what we discuss in class. I suppose this is the point.
ReplyDeleteThe tutors I observe all have the same tutoring technique. I think it is crucial to have a variety of tutoring methods in the writing room.
I often find that many students reluctantly omit or change phrases from their papers that they really liked.